Proper clearance is required in many areas of your enginepiston to cylinder wall, crankshaft end float, camshaft end float, connecting rod side clearance, and then also things like spring valve lash. The rule with engine building is clean, clean, and then clean some more. There are some things I liked about the spit but not enough to keep it around. What you are looking for is the point the dial indictor needle quits moving as the piston comes to the top of the block. Hardened exhaust seat inserts are a must for the hotter burning unleaded fuels used today. Add to Wish List. Payen gaskets where possible, use the best crank bearings you can find (vandervell but you will have to be VERY lucky) and you WILL need a thermostatic oil cooler, and millers CSS20/60 oil a good idea. Listen out for rattling and blue. If you have a single row chain I suggest you upgrade to a double row chain if available. Install the cylinder head and rocker arm assembly. That is as good as you are likely to get it, though DD can of course alter advance curves to suit your engine spec, or go for a mapped ignition! Good information. Re the pinking. By Crankshaft wear: the 1493cc engine fitted to the Spitfire 1500 has problems of its own, as the crankshaft can wear badly, along with the pistons and rings. More torque, as we know, helps produce betteraccelerationnumbers. Maybe because its the one I raced back in the day, but it always just seemed better balanced than the 1500 for some reason. WishboneClassics is able to perform certain machining operations on your engine that you cannot have done elsewhere. I think these carbs were also stock on 70's era Fiat 124 sedans and roadsters, but I may be wrong. Read More 1978 Triumph Spitfire with a Mid-Engine Turbo 1.8 L Inline-Four. I highly recommend Moss uprated valve seals. Sold my spit last year and it was one ofthe few cars I never regretted selling. Many parts are available for this engine from aftermarket suppliers. It should come around the outer edge of your degree wheel, preferably on the top side. Many British engines have cam bearings in the block. You may have seen them at county fairs the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos, leading to the name "silo-drome.". Larger and the vital internal parts should be cleaned by professionals in an industrial parts washer. I'm guessing not particularly. Install the crankshaft and bearing This is really useful and clearly written. In some states, this kind of modification is a no-no. You will want to ask around for the shop that has the best reputation for crankshaft work. If your crankshaft is out of spec and has to be reground, there are several under-sizes of crankshaft bearings available. Keep advancing the timing until you do, then retard just enough so you don't get any pinking. After your 20-minute break-in, do your final tuning. Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items . This is where most cracks occur, so the proper filet radius is important for the overall strength of the crankshaft. 1979 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 MK IV. We're able to bore Triumphblocks to accept cam bearings, we've even produced specialized tooling to shorten the duration of this procedure - which saves you money, because we can do it quicker. Seals should come in your gasket set but double check. Short stroke Vs long stroke: The 1147 & 1300s can all rev much higher than a 1500, the 1500 due to its bigger capacity has more low down pulling Torque. Digital Rev Limiter Pertronix . Once the studs are installed (if applicable) then install the head gasket. I own a suitable license for this piece of music, supplied by Chris Worth Productions. (To replace my old engine, which had suffered catastrophic failure). Inspect your valve guides next. All engines are run and broken in prior to installation or shipping to the customer. Motor runs excellent, no issues with state inspection and everything works as it is supposed to. Triumph Spitfire Engine Rebuild #8 - Distributor Fitting - YouTube After a long hiatus in production, I'm back on my engine rebuild videos, though there aren't many left. This should make for a more spritely drive. Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. Manganese bronze guides expand with heat at a different rate than your cylinder head and require more clearance than cast iron guides. "Blueprinting" the crank, making absolutely sure that it is built to precise spec, with best quality parts, is what you have been discussing with Pete and Clive. They could save you a big hassle later. In our case, Quantum Mechanics sold us a brand-new downpipe to match the European exhaust manifold. AVAILABLE IN STANDARD OR ALL REGULAR OVERSIZES [ E-MAIL OR TEL. It will smooth out an engine and pull locked up hp to the fore. You will do this similarly to your crankshaft end float. If you're a British car owner that seeks perfection, you will not find another engine rebuilder that is able to produce as fine of finished unit. Use a wooden, or plastic hammer handle, to tap the top of the piston down into the bore. Buy Triumph Spitfire Fuel Pumps and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! The cost for this setup is only about $400 to $500, depending on the source and condition of the parts. As a rule of thumb, its best to replace the rod bolts. And here's the reason why. Remember, these parts may be nearing their 40th birthday, so go with a reputable dealer. I was not aware of the header from the UK. I've read that a Newmans mildroad cam is a good option, and payan gaskets are the best, but what bearings and rings? Anyway even with the taller gears the engine isn't so high strung that it lugs at all. Oil Pump and Exterior Assembly It includes the crankshaft, bearings, pistons; it excludes the sump, oil pump, camshaft, cylinder head. Your IP: I can then, at my leisure,rebuild the one in my car now and either sell it on or do another swap. But now you will know what degree of offset key to order. 142.132.219.252 This is done to prevent a piston ring from getting caught and breaking during installation. I've seen talk of 100HP from some out there, but I have to admit that the 3 main bearing crank arrangement scares me pretty badly. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Manganese bronze guides are also available and I almost always use them because they are very long wearing. But no proof or paperwork so Im assuming it wasnt. The 1500 long stroke is not the best for reliability and can suffer serious big end and con rod failures ifnused in a hurried life It does age quite quickly, upping the power wont help much in reliability Clives the best on this Pete clive Members 5.5k Posted October 1, 2017 For a road engine there are a few simple things. Carburetor Rebuild Kit, Weber DGV Downdraft . The CNCblock machining center is a major contributor to the high level of quality and performance on our engines. My best friend has a Fiat with a DCV on it that responded VERY well to it. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Single DCOEs on the 8 port heads suffer from uneven fuel distribution between the inside two cylinders and the outside two owing to the unequal runner lengths of the available intake manifolds. $118.99. Check the wiper section of the rocker arm where it makes contact with the valve stem. Oil pump whether you replace with new or reuse your current oil pump you will need to disassemble it and check the clearances. The weber downdraft is basically the same carburetor that was used on early German Capris and Ford Pintos (1970s). Perhaps our biggest issue was simply the original setups drivability. The Birth of the Modern Sports Car: Datsun 240Z, Porsche 924, Triumph TR7 and Mazda RX-7. Total price: $93.10. All in, you could easily complete this job for about $700 if you do the work yourself. You'd hopethey'd have put them back for the sake of a few pence if they reduced engine failure rates That's interesting, I wonder why they are on my late GT6 mk3? Keep your manual close at hand for the assembly stage. Description Triumph Spitfire - Classic Car Fuel Injection Conversion Based on our Premium Vehicle Kit for 2 SU carburettor upto 125 BHP This kit contains all the parts needed for our Classic Fuel Injection system (you do not need to order anything else from our range ) Save around 200 when buying as complete kit Quantum Mechanics offers these as used sets with manifold pulled from old Spits in England. Position it toward #1 piston and then bring the piston toward the top of the block. I'll look for the head stamp and see what it says. On the bench, apiston and gudgeon pin weighs 346gms, but this is under 1g, the acceleration due to Earth's gravity, In the 2.5L, at 6000rpm the piston reaches more than 2000g, andweighs nearly a tonne! The leaning and surging had vanished. I have only ever torqued up to the factory spec, and never had any issues. I recommend replacing valves and valve springs. Spitfire/GT6 TS Imported Automotive, 108 South Jefferson St., Pandora, Ohio, 45877, USA Tel 800.543.6648 (USA & Canada only) 419.384.3022 (Tech / General Information) Some information and prices may be differenttoday. I started a similar thread on the MGE and got quite a bit of good feedback, so I thought I'd see what you guys have to say. Now loosen the crank nut and rotate the degree wheel to reflect TDC on it. anglefire is my forum name across all forums I use. Cover the camshaft journals, lobes and gears liberally with assembly lube. Crank bearings are supplied standard size and pistons are supplied +0.020" oversize. We've endeavored to have our machine work carried out on the finest, most accurate equipment available. I thought for 30-40 I'd just change the bolts - more for piece of mind rather than anything else - not going ARP as the engine will be pretty much standard. Pete, The 1500 long stroke is not the best for reliability and can suffer serious big end and con rod failuresifnused in ahurried life, It does age quite quickly, upping the power wont help much in reliability. Fill the engine with all fluids. Triumph Spitfire - Engine rebuild - YouTube Restoration of my Triumph Spitfire showing the newly rebuilt engine by Prather Racing - Kent Prather and myself. Pointer this can be as simple as a piece of wire bolted to the front side of the block. Thanks Pete and Clive - as I say, I'm not after a racing engine or even upping the power particularly. And I'll be looking at the shells as I said and thrust washers - though it does look from the outside to have been done well (I don't want to knock the chap who did it!) One day. My apologies. Timing assembly always replace the chain, timing gear and timing chain tensioner. Almost 100,000 of these engines were used in the 1973-80 Spitfires, and nearly as many were used inMGMidgets sold from 1975andlater. Ray, July 19, 2015 @ 6:14 am Click & Collect. ASSEMBLY ALL THE PARTS YOU NEED FOR DIY BOTTOM END ENGINE REBUILD INCLUDING PISTON AND RING SET ,BEARINGS, OIL SEALS,OIL PUMP,CAM FOLLOWERS ,TIMIMG CHAIN AND TENSIONER, HEAD AND SUMP GASKET SET. Get the distributor modified to match the cam (the Distributor Doctor) and find somebody to set the carbs up on a rolling road. and he didn't use eBay parts, just Canley Classics, Rimmers or Moss. But improper clearance can result in a seized exhaust valve. The idea is to remove all the accumulated junk, especially from critical areas like the float bowl and jets. When you check the shells, if it hasbeen built with cheap bi-metalones (you can tell by colour and the markings on the rear) then replace them with lead/copper. This number could vary, as long as it is the same exact point before, and after maximum lift. It's the 1500cc variant, however, its had some cylinder head work and a fast road camshaft. Engine Block Its a good idea to replace the rocker shaft. Triumphs and Jags back in 1972 (58k scanned image of an official price sheet) Building an engine test stand Assorted first hand tech rebuilds Rebuilding Seats Windshield chrome Trim Oil Cooler Installation New Pistons and rings Grinding Rings New Dashboard Front Spring lowering Stainless Steel Brake Lines Rear axle tricks Interior Trim Rpm 5000 12.67 14.58 Degreeing a camshaft Oil pump Come on fellas, Mike can't be the only one to reply??? They look 10X better in the engine bay on a 1300 or a 1500 than a ZS or Weber and have been around forever. Early Spitfire and Heraldengines had lock tabs (https://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-spitfire-mki/ii-crankshaft-and-camshaft). Water pump Protection by optimising the oil supply is another option. Triumph Spitfire 1969-1980 Owners Workshop Manual: Glovebox Edition (Practical Classics & Car Restorer) $2000. Then I realised itd be quite cool to make it an animation. A bit too obvious for me that! Its important that this be accounted for because too much clearance would cause a loss of oil pressure and too little clearance could cause damage to the bearings and crankshaft. Harlow Private 4,500 TRIUMPH Spitfire Spitfire Thrust washers needed to be maintained, or crank walk would destroy themaswell. Is there a howitzer story there? And, once you have the engine block on the engine stand, youre ready to dive in. ft/9.5 kgm) at 2500 rpm respectively. Rocker shaft A better solution is to use this as an excuse to use larger intake valves and enjoy improved performance. Personally, I'd just check the originals for signs of stretch and reuse them. The engine needing the least work to retrofit is the Triumph GT6, or the Triumph TR6. Need someone to fit steel main caps to your block and line bore for the proper fit? Question is, should ILoctite the bolts and if so which spec should I use. Dont let any steps get overlooked. Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. After a few heat cycles, you will need to retorque the cylinder head and re-adjust the valve lash. Set up the magnetic base and dial indicator on the front side of the cam, or cam gear, and moving the camshaft front to rear reading the movement on the indicator. Your manual will tell you the clearance specs, and you need to use an assembly lube on all moving parts inside the oil pump. - I think there is some end float issues amongst others!). Body & Chassis Brakes Clutch, Gearbox & Axle Cooling System Electrical Engine Exhaust Exterior Fuel System & Induction General Accessories Heating & Ventilation Interior If theres any drawback, its the legal ramifications. The Triumph SC (small car) engines were never derived fromtractors. If you want to uprate the big end bolts but don't feel like splashing out on ARP, you can also use Cosworth (YB?) Which classic roadster offers the best top-down experience? TR6 four speed gearbox with J-type OD base rebuild pricing is $2999. I would like to fit a sports exhaust at the same time too. I tried the Weber DGV for a while but the SU's are more responsive plus I get better gas mileage ( the 5 speed helps). Most machine shops have a special tool that can cut all three angles at the same time. Select your Triumph Spitfire PDF Download from the list below: Triumph - Spitfire - Parts Catalogue - (1962) Other Manuals 295 Pages. Paddocks) sell. Really?). Differential Mount Set Poly Front Spitfire GT6 . The strut towers have also been chrome plated and fitted. A short engine is the middle section of the engine assembly, namely the cylinder block. $29.77. The 123 ignition(distributor) is a modification that employs spark balancing, like used in formula race cars. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Articles that Ben has written have been covered onCNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine,Road & Track Magazine,the official Pinterest blog, theofficialeBay Motorsblog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more. Power is supplied to the wheels via a 4 speed manual with overdrive gearbox. No problem. None of these points will do you any good though, in reality youll have either turned to alcoholism or been committed to a lunatic asylum long before the task is completed. Current car: 1980 Triumph Spitfire Past cars: 1975 Triumph Spitfire, 1973 Austin Mini, While adding main bearings and redesigning thrust washers is not an easy feat, at least one of the engines problems can be addressed: without much headachebettercarburetion. Some connecting rods will be a press fit type, and not need servicing other than pressing the old piston off and the new pistons on. Cam bearings I prefer the full circle type If the surface isnt flat, have the deck resurfaced. I tell my customers to go where the racers go. 4.20 postage . Another way to look at it is to work out how much the piston weighs in use. If you feel any resistance, make sure the ring compressor is tamped square against the block deck, and if you still feel resistance, you may want to look in the bottom of the block and make sure your connecting rod is not interfering with the crankshaft. Pinning them with a couple of 4-40 flathead brass machine screws is a simple effective solution. Freshening a carburetor is not as scary as it sounds, and companies like Quantum Mechanics supply the necessary kits. Please contact us for further details concerning . Rebuilding A Triumph Spitfire Engine Reading time: about 1 minute | Written by Ben Branch | August 25th 2013 11 Months, 3000 pictures and a lot of coffee. Blueprint clearance is mostly done by more advanced engine builders, but your machinist can measure and machine everything to spec. Coat with oil, install and torque the #1 main cap to manual specs. The following is a list of new parts I typically include in an engine rebuild. They will measure the new pistons to bore the cylinder. The Kent fast road grind has a lot of lift but not a lot of duration which keeps the power band from being pushed too high. Pushing out the old pins is normally done by cold pressing. Cutting the valve seats: The most common is a three angle seat for better performance and sealing. Nov 14, 2022 The thing to remember is that the engine is many different systems that all have to work together. (different torques given by ARpdepending on what lube you use on the threads, more torque needed if you use 30weight oil..), I agree you can re use our spec of bolt a number of times , what you cant reuse is more modern specs where the torque has been, Tightend to its yeild point these are dangerously likely to fail if re used, More moderns are often spec'd as up to a target torque followed by accurate angular rotation, In stages on production these results are devised from watching the toqure climb and rotation, The meters that measure this carefully stop as soon as the torque rise flattens and rotation is about to continue, Ive got one in the cupboard gathering dust never use it these days, Usefull on troublesome fitting to find the ultimate torque. You get extra points for completing this task if the engine in question is British or Italian of course, along with a tidy little bonus point if the engine is pre-1980. In this video,. Launched in October 1962, the Spitfire featured sleek styling by famed Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. My engine is very user friendly around town and on the highway. Power is, This documentary tells the story of the humble Land Rover, from its origins immediately after WWII as a four-wheel drive farm tractor replacement right, This is the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE stunt motorcycle that was used while filming the memorable chase scene in the James Bond film No, This Jaguar E-Type has been built to Semi-Lightweight specification by XK Engineering, its powered by an all-alloy Crosthwaite & Gardiner 3.8 liter straight-six thats, The Volkwagen SP2 was developed by Volkswagen do Brasil specifically for the Brazilian market as a locally producedsports car. Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. The car was largely based upon the chassis of the Triumph Herald saloon, but shortened and without the Herald's outrigger sections. Oil pressure regulator parts They are inexpensive, so replace them. The dual HS setup appears to be the best way to go, either the HS2 set-up from a Euro 1300 Spit or the HS4 set from a Euro 1500 Spit. Bolting Dual DCOEs on a stock engine would would hurt driveability. Adjustable cam gears will have about 20 degrees of variable adjustment to work with assuring you can get the cam timing exactly where you need. www.mossmotoring.com/disassembling-british-engine, Planning for Rebuilding the Engine on the Spitfire | Triumph Spitfire Mk3 Restoration Project: Bruce's Triumph Therapy, http://mossmotorsltd.wpengine.com/restoring-british-engine/. We will cover that later. The last GT6s had a lot of differences from earlier mk3s, I wonder if Triumph went back to tabs? A bead blast cabinet is ideal for this job; however a wire brush on a drill, or bench grinder with a wire brush will get the job done. Never, ever fire up an engine without confirming you have oil pressure. Inferior steel in the crankshaft, narrow bearings and thrust washer inadequacy posed issues for the 1500 and on top of that the single carb is a negative, as your test showed A competitor in my race group used to refer to his 1500 as "Mr Floppy" (referencing the crank, which precluded using high rpm). Whether stock, performance or race, only the highest quality components and workmanship go into our engines. If you have just set it to the "book" spec there is every chance it will not be ideal. Now stop at .005 before the indicator reaches zero, or maximum lift, record your readings at the degree wheel. Crankshaft Shop Work Other Areas of your Engine Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. A larger motor was needed. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The MG motor was incapable of being enlarged, just getting itto 1275 had required engineering handsprings (offset conrods? theres no dirt inclusions ,or scuffing , look very good to me Apologies, confusion re std. I hope this far into the game you already have a good manual. Guess 3 mains and a thrust bearing that falls out were state of the art back then. The best currently available bearings are King Tri-metal which most suppliers (e.g. This is due to the manifolds available for that adaptation. A word of caution about decking the block too much: Some engines, such as the Spitfire and Midget 1500 and the later TR6, have necessary recesses around the cylinder bores. Weight is mass times acceleration, andI've done this for a TR6, the worst possible case. I use .003 clearance on my manganese bronze guides. Our initial zero-to-60 testing was just as depressing. Do you need custom pistons for this? Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 13 33,950 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 6383 MANUAL RHD Refcode: 07AD6F7A-7C71-6CF9-9CAF-66E10EE97FDA Pristine Triumph Spitfire 1500 with just 3,999 miles on the clock! MPS(m/s) MPS(m/s) ], Story by Tim SuddardPhotography asCredited. Because our carburetors didnt exhibit any throttle shaft wear, we didnt need to have them rebuilt. Bolting on the new carburetors is easy, and since this is a factory setup, the throttle cable will perfectly join the existing system. Thanks for the information - especially the bearing supplier. If it is worn, have it replaced as well. Lube the rod bolt threads with motor oil or fastener assembly lube, like the one ARP makes, and torque your rod bolts to manual spec. Make sure to lube all points of contact. The results were that the downdraft Weber gave essentially the same performance as HS4s. Rocker arm bushings, if needed, Gaskets and the final touches Once you torque it to spec turn the crankshaft by hand, you should feel a nice fluid motion without any binding. First, scrape off old gaskets as much as you can, then move on to degreasing. Please state if alternate sizes are required. Yeah, except for Mazda, Ford, GM, Toyota, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, etc. If the margin (the vertical part of the valve just below the seat sealing area) is ground away during refacing it could leave a sharp edge that can lead to a burnt exhaust valve later on. Thanks Richard. Install lifters, pushrods and cylinder head. The Spitfires exhaust system is epically simple, and any competent shop can build you a nice system. I have seen someone fitting an extra thrust bearing by machining the cap to suit - but keep some material for retaining the extra and existing bearings. Piston set these will come with rings and pins supplied. http://triumphspitfire.com/enginenumbers.html, Ok, given that I'm going to drop the sump to replace the oil pump, I have decided to also change all the bolts on the bearing caps - gives me the opportunity to inspect the journals and shells and re-oil prior to start-up (its been on an engine stand for about 3 or 4 years). Anyone know anything about the downdraft Weber carb and aluminum intake kit being offered by englishparts.com? Regrinding the original cast iron exhaust seat is a short term answer, as valve seal will be lost in a short period of time. 5500 13.93 16.04 Sort By Price Every time we use this miraculous product, were impressed with how it knocks down exhaust temperature and holds up for years, looking like new for a long, long time. But Ive stuck with it for reasons long since forgotten! I wouldn't bother changing the main bolts either, and I don't think loctite is a good idea. TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 16958 N/A RHD Refcode: 333759 Complete strip down, body spray with new parts and components and rebuilt 12 years ago, engine re. Both BMC (B series engines) and Triumph (the Vanguard/TR wet liner engine) also used the engines in all sorts of different applications - main vans, boats and tractors, but they weren't designed for agricultural use in the first place. The spitfre mk3 profile cam is very good, or even the TR5 profile. 5000 rpm may be a conservative limit even for a 1500, but it's easy to see that thelonger stroke engine approaches the 20mps limit far sooner than the earlier engines. $4315. Move to zero and then around and stop at .005 past zero. July 19, 2014 @ 4:35 am When you achieve the same degrees BTDC and ATDC your wheel will show TRUE TDC. Let the engine run 20 minutes at 2,000 rpm to break in your cam and lifters. For about $200, we had a local muffler shop fabricate a new system. Add to Wish List. Remove the spark plugs and turn the engine over until you see oil pressure at the gauge. I use a Moss high performance Pro Sport model on my MGB racecar and can attest to its high quality. I'm just curious where this little motor might go if tuned and built properly. WHAT A MACHINE SHOP SHOULD DO There is no need to hurry; time is your friend when degreasing. 57,315 M Kurt Tanner Motorcars (866) 461-3172 Santa Ana, CA 92705 (934 miles away) 40 1970 Triumph Spitfire 76,029 mi 1300cc $ 19,700 or $324/mo Strengthening the bottom end isn't an option, unless you go for a steel billet crank and conrods. Camshaft if needed/desired. Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Engine Blocks, Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like. You will need a piston ring compressor. Budget a day to do the work, plus the cost of modifying your exhaust system, the carb-freshening kits and the paint and cleaning supplies. Remove no more than .010 so that the head gasket will seal properly. Next, install the cylinder head. From your local part store you will need to purchase the green plastigauge with a measurement range for .001-.003. All spark advance is handled electronically. It will be your main point of reference. Do this one main cap at time working from front to back being careful to not rotate the crankshaft. Be extra careful installing the camshaft into the blockespecially with a block that has cam bearing as most nicks and scratches happen during installation. as perspicacity of this Triumph Spitfire 1500 Engine can be taken as skillfully as picked to act. Watch on There's nothing quite like the process of pulling apart, fixing and rebuilding a vintage engine. Mainly as we now run unleaded fuel, not old 4 star! Buy used Triumph Spitfire motors/engines from our network that offers up to a two-year warranty on qualified units! Before the swapand with the original single-carb unit properly tunedour Spitfire produced 49 horsepower and 66 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear wheels, as measured on a chassis dyno. Get Started Read the Forum Help (FAQ) or contact the webmaster. Purpose manufactured components designed to replace faulty original designs - for increased reliability and durability. Altering the factory cam timing can be done in one of two wayseither by using offset camshaft keys or with an adjustable camshaft gear. BLACK SOFT TOP. Install the cam thrust plate, timing gears, chain and tensioner (if applicable) following the workshop manual guidelines. Dealer 3,695 Triumph Spitfire 1500 1978 Triumph Spitfire 1500cc in yellow, has been dry stored. It might be suitable for some situations but the Spitfire (MG Midget) configuration is not one of them. A shop manual is a good idea, but we have a little cheat: Just disassemble one unit at a time, and use the other as a 3-D shop manual of sorts. (TR6 engine block in the process of being CNCmachined, cylinders being bored). I'll be making sure that my new one is as good as it can get to the "best" end of the specs. ENGINE REBUILD KIT FOR MG MIDGET 1500 [ THE TRIUMPH ENGINE ] 1975 - 1980 . Tim mentions the Weber DGV as a suitable alternative carb. Once the crankshaft is installed, be sure to check your crankshaft end float as I first discussed in the disassembly article, and make sure it is in spec per the manual.